A survey of districts conducted by the state Professional Educators Standards Board found that just 445 teachers statewide received reduction-in-force letters last spring. Since then, many, if not most, have been recalled for the approaching school year. In Sumner, for example, 16 RIF letters were sent out. All but one have been rescinded.”

We’ve already seen it in Arkansas and a few other states, so this comes as no surprise. All of those teachers facing layoffs — they were never facing layoffs. They became classic state budgetary rhetorical devices in a game normally used to raise taxes. You can’t wring tax increases out of voters or give your congressional delegation cover for a union bailout if you tell them the truth — that there are 1,000 things you can cut before you start laying off teachers and firefighters or releasing violent inmates.